An exploration of the 1897 Red River Valley League with teams from Fargo, Grand Forks, Moorhead, and Wahpeton-Breckenridge. The league featured future major league players, local heroes, reckless characters, economic unrest, and spirited rivalries.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

On This Date: Rain in Fargo, Storm Brewing in Wahpeton

July 21, 1897 - Wahpeton-Breckenridge received a message to stay home and not travel to Fargo for a series with the Divorcees. The field conditions were still poor from a recent rain. In a strange way, this may have been a blessing for the W-B team. Whispers were appearing in the local papers hinting that the Methodists were in financial trouble. Saving the team boarding costs for the night was fortunate in this light. Interestingly, the next day, the team would take a freight train to Fargo to begin the rain-delayed series. This method of transportation may very well have been a cost-cutting measure, a cheaper option compared with booking a passenger car for the players. In the coming days, the valley would come to learn just how desperate the situation had become for Manager Ed Corbett's club.

The folks in Crookston apparently were downwind of the whispers. The Forum reported that the city was positioning itself to join the RRVL for the remainder of 1897. By July 25, serious talks were in the works to transfer the Wahpeton-Breckenridge franchise north to Crookston, where the team would finish the season.